A photographing apparatus capable of photographing still pictures and motion pictures has an image stabilizing feature arranged so as to achieve an appropriate image stabilization characteristic in response to a photography start switch which is turned on and off, and depending upon whether a still picture is photographed or a motion picture is photographed, thereby achieving the optimum image stabilization characteristic for each photographic mode.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An imaging apparatus capable of imaging a still picture and a motion picture, comprising: an image stabilizer that suppresses image blur of the imaging apparatus; first determination means for determining which one of still picture imaging and a motion picture imaging is performed; second determination means for determining whether an image stabilization process is actuated, whether an operation switch is released, whether a first signal is generated in response to operating the operation switch, or whether a second signal is generated in response to operation of the operation switch; a controller that selects a control frequency characteristic of said image stabilizer based on the result produced by said first determination means, wherein said controller also selects a control frequency characteristic in response to said second determination means determining that the image stabilization function is turned off, that the operation switch is released, that the first signal is generated, and that the second signal is generated, and wherein the control frequency characteristic of said image stabilizer has a lower frequency response for still picture imaging than for motion picture imaging.
2. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: an imaging switch that activates an imaging operation; and a controller that starts controlling the control frequency characteristic of said image stabilizer in response to the operation of said imaging switch.
3. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said imaging switch is operated in a plurality of stages, and the control frequency characteristic is selected when a predetermined number of stages of said imaging switch are operated.
4. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the same control frequency characteristic is selected regardless of whether said imaging apparatus is performing still picture imaging or motion picture imaging while said imaging switch is not operated.
5. An imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising: a panning and tilting detector that detects whether said imaging apparatus is being panned or tilted, using a predetermined detection characteristic selected from among a plurality of detection characteristics, the predetermined detection characteristic being selected on the basis of whether said imaging apparatus is performing still picture imaging or motion picture imaging.
6. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising: a panning and tilting detector that detects whether said imaging apparatus is being panned or titled, using a predetermined detection characteristic selected from among a plurality of detection characteristics, the predetermined detection characteristic being selected in response to operation of said imaging switch and on the basis of whether said imaging apparatus is performing still picture imaging or motion picture imaging.
7. An imaging apparatus capable of imaging a still picture and a motion picture, comprising: an image stabilizer that suppresses image blur; and a detector that detects a vibration frequency using a predetermined vibration detection characteristic selected from among a plurality of vibration detection characteristics, wherein the predetermined vibration detection characteristic is selected on the basis of whether said imaging apparatus is performing still picture imaging or motion picture imaging, wherein the predetermined vibration detection characteristic is also selected on the basis of whether an image stabilization function is turned off, whether an operation switch is released, whether a first signal is generated in response to the operation switch not being released, and whether a second signal is generated in response to the operation switch not being released.
8. A photographing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 , 2 , and 7 to 6 , further comprising a detector that detects whether said photographing apparatus is performing still picture photography or motion picture photography.
9. A photographing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 , 2 , and 7 to 6 , further comprising a selector that selects still picture photography or motion picture photography.
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December 14, 2001
May 1, 2007
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